Sound pickups and amplification systems are used with various stringed instruments to sense string vibrations, convert those vibrations into electrical signals and amplify and project the resulting sound. One frequently employed technique for effecting this conversion is to use an “under saddle transducer.” That is, at least one transducer is placed between the bottom of the vertical support or saddle, which provides the break point for the vibration of the one or more strings of the instrument, and the bridge, which supports the saddle. The transducer is given a tension preload via the downward pressure exerted by the one or more strings on the saddle. The amount of preload is related to the tension that has been placed on the string to bring it to the desired pitch.
However, known under saddle transducer pickup assemblies suffer from significant disadvantages associated with insufficient ability to adjust the amount of preload on the transducer. This is because the strings must press down on the transducer with equal pressure to adjust the output volume correctly. Such disadvantages range from a lack of “string-to-string” balance in a multi-stringed instrument, i.e., the electrical signal generated is not of a consistent level from one string to the next, to the addition of harmonic information that is not present in the natural vibrations.
Under saddle transducer pickup assemblies have other drawbacks. The saddle or other vertical support must be dimensioned precisely to be a “slip fit” into the slot of the bridge and cannot bind on the sides or ends, thus holding the saddle off the transducer in any location. Also, the bottom of the saddle must be uniform so it can lay evenly on the transducer, and the slot of the bridge must be completely flat to mate properly with the bottom of the transducer. The saddle material needs to be relatively consistent in density to transfer vibration equally. Even when under saddle transducers are fit properly in a slot of the bridge, they can become unequally compressed under the downward string tension on the saddle pushing down on the transducer, resulting in poor sound quality.